Angela Lueking is an Associate Professor in the John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University's University Park campus, with a joint appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering. Her research pursuits are selected based on the opportunity to creatively address sustainable energy solutions, while addressing underlying scientific phenomena. Angela obtained her Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the University of Michigan by developing materials that utilize hydrogen spillover as the mechanism for hydrogen uptake. Her formal academic training focuses on adsorption, surface science, catalysis, environmental separations, and gas storage. She has continued work in adsorption, catalysis, hydrogen storage, hydrogen spillover, and development of novel adsorbents at Penn State. Her research pursuits have evolved to include development and advanced characterization of new carbon materials, new synthesis routes to existing carbon materials, low temperature H2 evolution from processed coal, catalytic gasification, and fundamental studies/simulations of hydrogen spillover. Recent collaborative work includes density functional theory to design new materials, advanced in situ characterization, design of catalysts designed from metal organic frameworks, study of diffusion into gate-opening metal organic frameworks, application of novel carbon materials as chemical sensors and electrochemical capacitors, and theoretical considerations of adsorption. Notable research discoveries include spectroscopic evidence for a reversible carbon-hydrogen adsorption site, chemical dopants that decrease the diffusion barrier to populate graphene with hydrogen, diamond formation from processed coal, fingerprints of unique carbon-hydrogen interactions, and unexpected low-temperature hydrogen evolution that led the group to explore new routes for distributed hydrogen production. Angela teaches courses in the interdisciplinary Energy Engineering, Fuel Science, and Environmental Systems Engineering disciplines at Penn State, as well as the Chemical Engineering department, including (most recently) general thermodynamics, mass transfer, and engineering design, as well as several general education courses and electives. Prior to her academic career, Angela worked in industry as an Environmental Engineer, where she led several environmental initiatives including chemical management, air-permitting, and environmental training.

PSIEE Research Theme:

Future Energy Supply

Research Summary:

Development and advanced characterization of new carbon materials, new synthesis routes to existing carbon materials, low temperature H2 evolution from processed coal, catalytic gasification, and fundamental studies/simulations of hydrogen spillover. Recent collaborative work includes density functional theory to design new materials, advanced in situ characterization, design of catalysts from metal organic frameworks, application of novel carbon materials as chemical sensors and electrochemical capacitors, and theoretical considerations of adsorption.

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